The One That Got Away
by the-irish-redhead
Summary: 2 years after DH. Ginny left on her 17th birthday. Harry is now a professor at Hogwarts. What happens when the meet again and what happened in those 2 years. First Fanfiction, please read & review. Complete
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Harry awoke with a sigh, today was happening whether he liked it or not.

He had a quick shower and went down to breakfast. Careful to take his time, he picked out his favourite foods and started to eat. Unfortunately, whatever he ate, tasted like cardboard. And so, it was half an hour later that he left to go back to his office with a half-empty stomach, McGonagalhad been watching him suspiciously so he forced down some food.

Harry soon started to correct essays from his 3rd years, concerning stunning spells and their uses.

The correcting itself shouldn't have taken long, but in an attempt to delay the inevitable, Harry was meticulous, re-reading each essay at least 3 times, determined to stay in his office for as long as possible.

At half twelve, Harry decided that he could no longer say that he was working when he had said that he would meet Ron for breakfast, and so knowing that his friend was probably going insane with worry, Harry stepped into the fireplace and clearly said "The Burrow".

Harry looked through the green dust to see his friend pacing the kitchen

"'Bout time too!" Ron said seriously

"Sorry, I slept in and then I had to correct some essays so that you could have me for the whole weekend." Harry replied guiltily. This seemed to calm Ron down somewhat as a slight grin appeared on his face.

"Right, we'd best get going." Ron said oblivious to the confused look on Harry's face. In fact, it was only when Harry asked what exactly he was there for did Ron stop getting ready and turned to face Harry,

"Oh Merlin! I haven't told you have I?" When Harry confirmed this Ron continued "Right, well, there's really only one way to say this I suppose. I was kind of planning on asking Hermione to marry me?" He ended looking at Harry as if seeking permission.

"Blimey... Well I was expecting that we'd be doing something else this weekend but... When exactly did you decide this?" He asked with a smile.

"Well it's been coming for a while now hasn't it?" He said relieved that Harry did not appear to have any objections." Right then, we'd best get going. We're going to apparate to the shop, have a quick word with George and then go shopping. Okay?" When Harry nodded, Ron simply moved out the door to the apparition spot and with a faint pop, was gone.

Harry shook his head in an amused fashion before following after Ron.

Harry walked into the shop with ease and started to look at some of the new products. After confirming to himself that the shop was doing very well with George and Ron in charge, Harry proceeded to the back of the shop, where he knew they would be.

He soon found the pair in a corner talking in hushed whispers. Unfortunately, in the couple of years since the war, Harry's stealth abilities has decreased somewhat and Ron soon noticed him.

"Harry, eh, I was just eh, getting some stuff to help" Ron stuttered while sporting a look that resembled a deer caught in headlights.

Harry could tell that while that may be the main reason that they were there, it was not what the duo were discussing. Harry, doing his best to put on a believing face, looked at George and said

"Right then, how have you been George?"

Harry however, did not get the short reply he had both expected and hoped for.

"I'm doing good Harry. How are he Friday nights, as lonely as ever?"

Harry knew that George was questioning his love life and his, rather lack of a social life.

"Ah George, it's just not the same without you. How's Luna doing?"

Harry had deliberately skimmed over his answer. Truth be told, he missed George. The two had taken to going to the Hog's Head every Friday night since the war, and had grown close, bonded over grief. Though while George had moved on, or at least gotten over his depression, and married Luna, Harry was as lonely as he had been during his fifth year. Harry would look at George, Luna and their son Fred, and wish that he had someone to share his life with.

"She's doing good, convinced of the existence of some new creature, but that's how she was with Fred as well."

Ron, realising that this conversation was now over, and it would no longer be considered rude, thanked George for his help and left with Harry.

As the two walked down Diagon Alley, Harry realised that he had only presumed that they were here to get a ring, this was however confirmed when a minute later they walked into a jewellery shop. While Ron told the cashier what he wanted and his budget, Harry started looking at rings.

It only took a few seconds before one stood out to him. It was a simle, white gold band, with a diamond in the center, which was encircled by tiny red rubies. Harry stared at it in wonder, thinking how good it would look on... He cut himself off, the las thing he wanted was to go down that road again.

The two searched high and low for two hours in both muggle and wizarding London. It was only when they had stopped for lunch in The Leaky Cauldron, did Harry decide to ask Ron exactly what he wanted in the ring. Ron proceeded to explain that the ring had to have class and that he should know as soon as he looked at it, that it was the one. After hearing this, Harry sighed. Ron noticing this, said

"Yeah well, you wouldn't really know what this is like would you?" and although it was meant as a joke, Harry didn't take it as one.

"No Ron, I don't know what 'this' is like. I haven't had a girlfriend in years, let alone a fiancee have I?" Harry, noticing that Ron looked slightly hurt said "Oh wait, I forgot to tell you, my girlfriend of two weeks and I eloped." At this Ron cracked a smile and said

"Sorry, it's just nerve wrecking is all."

After that, they ate in silence and soon continued shopping. After half an hour, Harry suggested going to a shop that he had seen in Yorkshire, during one of his few holidays with the Dursleys.

And so there they went, and Ron immediately saw the ring that he wanted. After purchasing it for what Ron claimed to be a steal, the headed back for the Burrow, Ron thanking Harry at every oppertunity he got.

As Harry walked through the door, he barely registered a gasp as his eyes fell on his last girlfriend sitting at the table, the one who got away.

"Ginny?"


	2. It's a LoveHate Thing part 1

**A.N. **

**Okay... I'm not too sure how long this thing will be but I've got like 6 chapters written so I suppose a nice round ten chapters or there abouts. Cheers to the people who reviewed and to those who didn't... Well I hardly ever review so it's okey dokey.**

**I quite enjoyed writing the next two chapters so they're probably pretty boring ;) which is why I made the effort to get them up double quick. You may send your thanks in the form of money, food, or reviews.**

**I kind of forgot the disclaimer on the last chapter and my account thing is messed up so I can't edit stuff so this one will have to go for both chapters...**

**I do not own any of the character, places or anything else that you recognise.**

Chapter 2

Harry turned to face Ron, who had just walked in behind him, with an inquisitive look. Ron shrugged, desperately trying to convince Harry that he had not known that Ginny would be there when they returned.

Harry mearly shook his head as though disappointed and then made his way out the door, ignoring Ginny's calls as he went. Ron swore softly and followed Harry outside only to find that Harry was no where to be seen. Ron, using the sense of logic that he had obtained in the two years since the war, knew that Harry would be making his way towards Hogwarts, and so, Ron did too.

Ron soon found Harry, standing in the middle of the quidditch pitch. He made his way over to Harry who, without turning to face Ron, said

"You didn't know that she'd be there. How long has she been back?" desperately trying to keep his voice free of the all the emotions that he was feeling.

"About a week. We were kind of planning on you finding out for yourself, like seeing her in Hogsmead or something."

Harry turned and raised an eyebrow

"We?"

Ron stumbled on his reply

"Well... By we I mean... What I mean to say is that Hermione, Ginny and I thought that it would be best."

Harry looked at his best friend and said

"Well you should have though that one through a little more, shouldn't you?" with that, he attempted to make his way to the castle, only to be stopped by Ron.

"You think that we didn't think about this, that we didn't go through each and every option thoroughly?"

Harry just looked at Ron and snarled

"Oh no, I have no doubt that you did, but maybe it wasn't my best interests you had in mind."

By this time the two were head to head, staring straight into the other's eyes

Harry continued

"How could you think that I wouldn't want to know straight away? Oh but wait, this isn't just any woman, it it Ron? This is the one that I would have given the world to on a silver platter. This is the one who kept me going. This is the one that I had every intention of marrying, and finally having a family with. Tell me Ron, what happens when the person who keeps you going, just leaves, vanishes into thin air? Oh wait, we already found that out, didn't we?"

Harry's face was now filled with emotion as he turned away.

Ron watched his friend walk, he was slightly in awe of what Harry had said, but still said

"Yeah, you're right, we did find out didn't we? You coward"

At this Harry stopped walking and listened as Ron continued

"You couldn't handle having nothing to do, no prophecy to fulfill, not having your life planned out, so you decided to take the easy way out instead of letting her go."

Harry turned to face Ron

"What would you know about it? How would you feel knowing that the person you died for had decided that you weren't a good enough reason to stay? How would you feel knowing that if they wanted you as badly as you did them, they would have stayed? And yet knowing that no one can quite compare to them, and that you'd rather live alone for the rest of your life then to get married but know that you aren't fooling anybody? Oh and then they return, two years later, and your best friends, who you trusted with your life countless times, didn't tell you about it? How the fuck would you feel about that? So next time that you question the way I choose to live my life, just remember, you don't know shit about what you're talking about."

He stared at Ron who just seemed ashamed and embarrassed, yet who still found the courage to look Harry in the eye and say

"A month Harry, it's been a month since she came back."

Harry just stared at him as though he didn't reognise who he was seeing and said with contempt evident in his voice

"9 years. You have known me for 9 years and yet you can still surprise me. You want to know something? You actually disgust me, and after all we've been through, I can't stand the sight of you."

He then marched to the castle, leaving an agitated Ron in his wake.

**A.N. Okay, there you have it, part one of two.**

**Please read and review and all that jazz.**

**Oh and to GryffindorAtHeart did I mention that this is AU:) And wasn't Fred with Angelina? Scandle!**


	3. It's a LoveHate Thing part 2

**A.N. So here it is, part 2 of "It's a Love/Hate Thing"**

**A random note here, The Coronas are a great band, you can buy 'San diego Song' on iTunes- great stuff.**

**Disclaimer: In the past like 3 days I have indeed won the lottery and have therefore bought the rights to Harry Potter from Warner Bro's ... Oh wait, that was a dream, so no, I do not own Harry Potter or any related characters, things or places.**

The rest of the weekend passed by with Harry staying in his room, staring at a letter that he had recieved from Ginny, in which, he was sure, she had tried to explain why exactly she left.

Three times a day however, Kreacher would demostrate his love for Harry by bringing him the best food that Hogwarts had to offer, most of which went uneaten.

Alas, the peace of the weekend could not last forever and on Monday morning, Harry made his way to his first class: fifth years. Harry strolled in approximately two minutes late, an event which had never before occured, and commenced the class.

"Good morning everyone, I hope you all had a good weekend, something tells me it beat mine" He muttered the last bit "Today we will be revising the simple things, your OWL's are coming up and amazingly enough, we have finished the course six months early."

Harry, who had been writing on the board, turned around suspiciously. They were quiet, his fifth years were _never_ quiet.

"What? Do I have something on my face?" He asked while rubbing around his mouth.

"No Sir. It's just that, well, you said you had a bad weekend and yet you're different, in a good way, obviously." said a particularily brave girl in the third row.

Harry looked around, as though not entirely convinced that they weren't planning something.

"How am I different?' He queried

This time a boy in the second row answered

"Well it's the way you walk, the way you talk, and there's this glint in your eye. Truth be told, it's like you were before the war." He said, with every word becoming more and more embarassed.

Harry, realising what they meant even if they themselves didn't, made an effort to change the subject.

"Come on, you only have six months before your exams, they will fly by! We don't have timr for this."

His eyes met the stern look of the whole class, united as one, as the who had spoken before said with a bit more confidence

"You said it yourself, we have six months and we've finished the course, so what cause this change in our favourite professor?"

Harry, knowing the ability of this class was exceptional, knew that he wouldn't be able to get out of this.

"I'll tell you if you don't tell _anyone._"

_Damn it_ he thought, as every head nodded in agreement.

And so, he explained everything that had happend over the weekend, bar Ron's saying that Harry had tried to take the easy way out, Harry wasn't ready for people to know about that yet, and honestly, he wasn't sure if he ever would be.

At the end of his story, he looked up at their faces, something he had avoided doing while he spoke.

"Does that explain it?

One girl in the front row nodded and said as if in trance

"Wow, so she came back a month ago and they kept it from you?"

Harry nodded slowly while saying

"Yeah, pretty much"

She then questioned

"What are you going to do now?"

Harry shrugged and said

"Knowing them, Hermione will probably come by soon to try to fix his mistakes."

At that, he let them go, some ten minutes early, sincerely hoping that he wasn't right.

Unfortunately, nine years is a long time to know someone, Hermione came after dinner and immediately found him in his office, much to Harry's dislike.

"Harry, we need to talk." She said with a detirmined look on her face.

"Can we do this some other time, I'm kind of busy right now." Harry said while trying to keep the pretence of correcting some tests.

"Harry we need to talk _now_." she said

"Fine. Go ahead, talk." He said with an annoyed expression on his face

Hermione, who had not been expecting him to give in so quickly, said

"Okay... Well Ron told you that Ginny has been back for about a month..." She paused to think

Harry took this oppertunity to ask something that had been bothering him

"How long, exactly?"

Hermione took a deep breath before continuing,

"One month, three weeks and four days. But thats not entirely why I'm here. It appears that dear Ronald did not explain to you why we chose not to tell you, am I correct in assuming that he kind of skipped over it?"

Harry was now growing increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation as he recalled what his best friend had said

"Yeah, your jackass of a boyfriend kind of skipped over that and went straight to insulting me."

Hermione, who had been expecting this reply said

"Harry, I'm sure he didn't..."

But she was interupted by an angry Harry

"Hermione, you're probably right, he didn't mean any of it, but does that change the fact that he still said it? He knew how bad it was for me when she left, and then he mocks me about it. If you're here to stand up for him and to try to fix his mistakes, then you can leave right now, 'cause we both know that if he was sorry, he'd be here himself."

Hermione stood up and walked to the door before turning and saying behind eyes filled with tears

"You were wrong, he's my fiance, he asked me yesterday." She held up her hand to show him the ring

"Congratualations" He said sarcastically before getting up and opening the door for her.


	4. The Things You Do

**A.N. **

**There have been a few requests to 'update soon' so here it is, but first may I just say that whenever I get an email saying that someone has just reviewed, my heart is twice as, warm I suppose, then when it just says someone has added this story to their story alert. And so, if you can't take a hint, who cares what I said before, please review... **

**Disclaimer: Same old stuff, I don't own Harry Potter, that honour belongs to Warner Bros. I believe**

It was mid-December and Harry was walking bitterly towards Hogwarts, cursing Aberforth as he went. It had been two months since Hermione had come to see him and for Harry, it had been two of the longest months of his life. He had fallen into the deep spiral of depression and was dreadfully missing contact with the world outside Hogwarts - excluding his contact with Aberforth, that is.

It also didn't help that the Hog's Head had recently reserved the right to refuse service to anyone – something that Harry was now, for the first time, the recipient of.

And so, Harry decided to go to the Three Broomsticks, which, though less of the atmosphere that Harry felt he needed, did serve firewhisky. When Harry walked in, the first difference was instantly noticeable, the sounds of joyful laughter- rather then that of bitter laughter that he had grown accustomed to at the Hogs Head.

Harry half stumbled, half walked to the bar and ordered a firewhisky while making himself comfortable. This was going to be a long night.

It was when Harry was halfway through his fifth pint that he noticed it, that hair, there just wasn't anything _quite_ like it. Harry refused to look up at the person who was getting ever, and instead, stared straight down into his near empty glass.

"Rosmerta, can we have another round?" she said dreamily while he prayed to be mistaken for just another drunk. However, his prayers were not to be answered tonight, as she started to look around and almost immediately recognised him.

"Harry?" she questioned

"Luna, long time no see." He stated while slurring his words slightly.

"Why yes, it has been a while. What are you doing here?" She asked, in full knowledge of his Friday night routine

"I could ask you the same thing. You shouldn't be drinking." he mumbled

"And you should? Besides, I'm just having gillywater" she replied without missing a beat.

"Well I have reason to drink." He stated simply, while refusing to look her in the eye.

"Not the way I see it. The girl you love is back, you have a family that will welcome you with open arms no matter what you do, and your two best friends are putting off their wedding until you come to your senses and realise that no matter what you do, you'll always be one of their best friends." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why haven't they contacted me?" he asked feebly

"Because there are some things that you have to do on your own, like whole realising all that stuff." She said understandingly as Rosmerta returned with the drinks.

Harry, noticing the rather large amount of drinks said,

"Why are you here?"

"We're celebrating" she replied and only continued when she noticed Harry's questioning look "Ginny just signed for the Harpies"

Harry nodded before propositioning her

"Here, I'll pay for the drinks, if you deliver something for me."

Luna thought before nodding. Harry hastily wrote on a napkin a quick, yet sincere and important message.

"Just remember, your glass is always half full when you have friends and family nearby." she said before pointing to his glass and waving goodbye.

Harry shook his head and laughed, it may be the drink getting to him, but that Luna had changed a lot since Hogwarts, but she could still make him laugh. He watched her walk back to their table, gripping the napkin as if her if depended on it, and levitating the drinks by her side.

He looked past Luna and onto the table, only to find Ginny staring right back at him. Once she saw him looking straight at her, she smiled in a friendly manner and before he knew what he was doing, he was smiling right back at her and winking, to which she just laughed at.

Harry turned, paid for both his drinks and Luna's before quickly making his way towards the door, a grin stretching from ear-to-ear on his face. After years, it felt good to know that he wasn't dead inside, that someone could still install those feelings into him.

It was a Saturday morning and for the first time in two months Harry was at breakfast in the Great Hall. He had thought it through last night and had decided that he would resign at the end of that school year, he didn't want to spend his whole life in Hogwarts and so decided that it would be best to do it now, once he had shown that the cure on the job had been lifted- not that many people knew about it in the first place.

After a breakfast, which he thoroughly enjoyed, Harry walked to Professor McGonagall's office barely noticing his slight hangover. As he knocked on the door, Harry reassured himself that this was the right thing to do.

"Come in." Came the stern reply

Once she saw it was Harry however, her façade was gone out the window and she gave him a smile.

"Wha can I do for you Harry?" she asked

"Well, I've been thinking and I want to resign at the end of the year." he decided not to bea around the bush.

McGonagall was silent for a minute or two before she said with a sigh

"Well, if it's what you truly want them I can't stop you, in fact, I'll encourage you to do this. Please don't take offence to this, but I don't really think that teaching is your true calling, you're good at it, but it doesn't satisfy you."

Harry nodded while he got up and said,

"Thank you, for everything."

"Anything for you Harry."

Harry nodded once more before leaving.

Harry looked at his watch and noticed that it had just gone eleven, and deciding that he'd best get a move on, he started to write a letter in which he asked Ron and Hermione to meet him for lunch in order to apologise in person. He sent it off with one of the school owls and a mere hour later, recieved a reply that stated that they would be delighted to see him again but they had already arranged to meet Ginny for lunch, they then said , though, that he could join them if he wished to and that if they didn't hear from him saying that he didn't want to, which they would understand, then they would see him at the Leaky Cauldren at three.

Harry smiled, he had a feeling that this was going to turn into a good day.

**A.N. I am aware that this story is moving pretty slowly, and for that I can only blame myself, though it should pick up a bit what with Harry resigning (how could he and Ginny get back together if he was stuck in Hogwarts?!). **

**This lunch thing that they're doing, well I'll just say that Ron and Hermione may find themselves a little preoccupied, or maybe forgot that they both had to work on that Saturday?**

**I could also use a beta to point stuff out to me like thatbthe story's moving too slowly, so if there are any volunteers, please don't hesitate to apply.**

**Please review and all that jazz.**


	5. No Woman No Cry

A.N. Okay, well I am absolutely overwhelmed with the response for this story, it is amazing and beyond all of my expectations, and I have pretty damn high expectations.

**Now there is some bad news, I had the week off school for midterm when I posted the first 4 chapters so now that it has started up again, updates won't be quite as regular especially seeing as I need to write the following chapters. And as if that wasn't bad enough, I'm getting a religion project (one of my worst subjects) though it isn't that big a one so it shouldn't take too long to do.**

**Once again, thanks for all the reviews, you have absolutely no idea how excited I get when I get a review and they have (mostly) been extremely encouraging. **

**Still need a beta by the way.**

**Disclaimer**

**I do not own Harry Potter or basically anything you recognise.**

It was two o'clock and Harry had just arrived at Diagon Alley. He strolled down the street until he found the shop he was looking for, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Though there were a few different branches throughout the island, George had never left this one.

It was their dream, where he and Fred had spent most of their good times together; it also made him feel somewhat closer to Fred when he was there.

Harry walked into the near-empty shop and went straight into the back, where he knew George would be. He soon saw him poking a box with his Wand and cleared his throat.

"Harry, how are you?" George asked once he saw that it was not, in fact, a stray customer.

"I'm doing okay George, but I could do with your help."

George looked at him suspiciously

"With what?"

"Well, I've decided that I need to get sober, let go of the past and all that."

George broke into a smile.

"Well if that's the case…"

Harry grinned back at him

"So you'll help me then?"

"Of course I will Harry, but there's not much I can do, most of it is down to you. And you should know that it's hard and you get pretty damn grouchy but when you reach the top, when you can go without craving a drink for months, it's bloody amazing."

Harry looked straight into Georges eye, all jocular behaviour gone and said

"I'll do whatever it takes George."

They spent the next half hour discussing what Harry would need to do in order to stay on the right track, Harry listening intently, determined to do whatever it took.

It was only when Harry noticed the time that he left George after thanking him profusely.

It was twenty to three and he wanted to be at the Leaky cauldron a bit early so he slightly rushed to Green Fingers, the florist on Diagon Alley. He bought a dozen white roses and shrunk them to fit into his pocket.

Harry arrived at The Leaky Cauldron only slightly early, and waited. Two minutes later, Ginny came along and the two engaged in small talk for the better part of ten minutes before deciding to wait inside, as it was cold outside, it being the middle of December.

They waited another ten minutes before ordering their food. Once they were done ordering and were once again alone, Harry decided to ask the question that had been bothering him for two years,

"Why did you leave?"

Ginny looked him straight in the eye and decided that since this could very well be her one and only chance to tell him, it would be best to tell the truth

"Harry there were so many reasons, but all of them seems so insignificant now. When we won, it was the second happiest I've ever felt in my life. But there were so many casualties, Fred included. I wanted to be with you but I needed to get past my own problems first. I know how selfish this will sound, because it was, but I couldn't deal with your problems on top of my own, which is what would happen if we got together, not because either of us chose it, but because that's how it is -was, when we were together, you know? Your problems were mine and visa versa. But even if we had gotten past that, then there was Teddy too, I know assumed this but, well, I though that you'd want to take care of him, and if we were together then I'd have to assume the role of mother, at 17."

She looked at him, tears in her eyes as she recalled what she had been feeling then, trying to read his expression, something that she used to be able to do with ease but was finding it extremely difficult now.

"Ginny, I won't lie. I was absolutely devastated when you left and I _was_ blaming myself for everything, but I wasn't ready for us to start again, because, I, like you, had to get through my problems before I could commit to anything. And as for Teddy, well, I was 18 and no where near ready to be a father." He said with a neutral expression on his face.

She was elated inside, though she couldn't show it on the outside, this was after all the second best reaction she could have wished for, though the first was never really going to happen.

"So where were you? What were you doing?" he asked friendly

"Well I was in Ireland, Dublin to be precise, playing quidditch for a minor enough club."

She answered before taking a bite of the fish, which had just arrived as part of a fish and chips combo.

"And what had you come back?" he asked in a voice that could not be described as friendly but it was not anything unfriendly or neutral, it was almost as if he had his suspicions but wanted to refrain from seeming hopeful.

"Well I missed everyone and one day I just suddenly realized that I couldn't stay there forever, I was missing out on seeing my niece and nephew, on seeing everyone get married, on having everyone at my wedding. So I came back."

Harry nodded; every reason that she had said had been good, though none was the one that he had wanted.

Realising that she had been talking about herself and that he had barely said anything about what he had done over the past two years she changed the topic to him.

"So what about you? What have you been doing?"

He let out a deep breath,

"How much have Ron and Hermione told you?" he asked while noticing that they had both finished, and signaled to Tom for the bill.

"Nothing much, just that you teach at Hogwarts." She replied, interested as to what they could have told her.

Harry paid the seven gallons 9 sickles for their meal and got up,

"Do you want to go for a walk?" He asked her

"Yeah, sure." She said and they made their way to the door and started walking, him leading the way. Once they got to a nice, secluded spot near the Shrieking Shack, they sat down on a bench.

" So you haven't answered my question, what have you been doing for the past two years?" she repeated the question, though the look on his face as soon as she spoke made her nervous of his answer.

"Well, after you left, I took up drinking. George and I would go to the Hog's Head every Friday night to drown our sorrows, you know? But then he found Luna and he stopped coming, so it was just me and I used to get so pissed, but there was no one there to calm me down like George had, well there was Abe, but he wasn't much help.

"So one night, I got it into my head that everyone would be better off without me, that you didn't want me and that I had nothing to live for, so I went back to my apartment. I must have decided to go back to muggle ways, 'cause I slit my wrists. Luckily, Hermione came by the apartment to check on me, turns out her and Ron had been doing that since George got together with Luna, anyway, she found me on the floor, blood pouring out, and brought me to St,Mungo's. I stayed there for two weeks before they cleared me and your Mom brought me back to the Burrow, where she nursed me back to health. Once she thought I was okay, I took the Defence Against The Dark Arts Job. That was about a year and a half ago, but as soon as I got there, I started drinking again. I'm trying to quit now."

By the end of his story, Ginny crying as she thought of all of the pain that he must have gone through, and that she had caused some of it.

"I'm so sorry Harry, I had no idea." She sobbed.

"It's okay Gin, it's in the past now." He said comfortingly while putting his arm around her after noticing that she was crying

"No, it's not okay Harry. You could have died, you wanted to die." She said into his chest.

"But I didn't. It's not important anymore Gin, so don't dwell on it, I won't try it again, I know now that I have too much to live for." He said while stroking her hair.

"Okay" she said simply

Harry waited for her sobbing to stop before reluctantly removing his arm from around her shoulders.

"You okay?" he asked

"Yeah, now. Thanks for telling me that Harry, I appreciate it." She said

"No problem Gin." He answered, in truth, it had felt good to get it off his chest as he had not once talked about it before.

Together they walked back to Hogsmead and before they could say goodbye, he remembered the roses in his pocket. After restoring them to their proper size, he gave them to her.

"Thanks Harry." She said simply before noticing the time on her watch,"It's half six Harry, we should probably say goodbye." And with that she hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "I had a great time today, it felt good to talk to you." She said

"Same here Gin, maybe we could do it again sometime?" he asked

"Yeah, I'd like that" and after one more hug, they both went their separate ways.

That night Ginny was lying on her bed, crying into her pillow about what she had put him through, how much she had missed, but most of all the roses, they were yellow, he just thought of her as a friend, and that was quite possibly her biggest regret, that they guy she had come back for thought of her as just a friend.

**Okay please don't kill me? I'm sorry I made Harry attempt suicide, but it was what has been in my head from the beginning.**

**I know that Ginny's whole explanation thing was terrible, I knew why she left, but I can't write it so I just tried my best which, unfortunatley, sucked.**

**So that was the longest chapter yet but there was a lot to cover, like Harry's thing but before I leave you, for now, I have one thing left to say,**

**To those of you who encouraged me in the previous chapters, thank you! And to GryffindorAtHeart, since you enjoyed it so much the last time I mentioned you, I have decided to do it again, hope Harry's attitude was better in this chapter.**

**Until the next chapter, where they will meet again (I promise) so long, farewell, goodbye.**


	6. Do They Know It's Christmas Time?

**Okay, here it is, chapter 6... Okay well not too many people reviewed the last chapter so you've either lost interest, didn't feel the need to review, or maybe you just didn't have the time or something like that. Thanks to those who found the time and word/s, everything is appreciated.**

**Okay well we are now entering into unchartered territory as I only have like 1 chapter planned which is the next one- I think. So that's not too good, but the way it's going, I'm estimating 10 or 12 chapters, I'm like a perfectionist so it have to be an even number.**

**Still no beta... I really need one... Please?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

It was Christmas Eve and Harry was playing with Teddy in the Tonks' residence. The child was almost three and, for Harry, the time that he spent with Teddy had flown by. As he looked at the child, who was immersed in playing with his wolf toy, he felt a pang of sadness that this boy, like himself, would never properly know his own parents.

Right on time Andromeda came in announcing that they had best be leaving soon, in order to not be late for the Weasleys' Christmas Eve dinner. And so they made their way to the fireplace to floo over, Harry carrying Teddy with him.

The first thing that told Harry that he had arrived was the wonderful aroma that had always, as far as he knew, existed in the kitchen of the Burrow, the second was red hair- a lot of red hair.

As Harry put Teddy down and let him toddle around to everyone, both Ginny and Hermione were admiring just how well he fit into the role of a father figure for Teddy, though in completely different ways.

Harry took the only empty seat, as Andromeda had already sat with Teddy, between Ginny and George.

Harry looked up to see that all eyes were on him- and not for the first time either.

"Yes?" he said expectantly

"Oh nothing..." Arthur said quickly

Harry looked around suspiciously

"Okay then..." he said after not finding any reason for them to be looking at him

They then started to eat the, as always, delicious food that Ms Weasley had prepared. Not two hours later the meal and the polite but awkward conversation, were over and Harry found himself sitting on the roof of the Burrow enjoying the serenity of the night. He estimated that he must have been there for ten minutes before Ginny came up. She sat down next to him and both enjoyed the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

"How have you been?" She asked

"I'm good, still sober and good. What about you?" he replied

"Honestly? It's hard, training is really competitive and the matches are difficult, but it's all worth it when we win. Other then that though, I'm exhausted and I miss spending time with everyone."

He nodded, he too wished that he could spend more time with the Weasleys

"But it's your dream right?" he asked as though seeking his own answer

"Sometimes I think it is, but then when I don't see everyone for a few weeks I think that it isn't what I want if I lose my family."

They were silent for a few minutes before Harry decided to get something off his chest

"I'm resigning at the end of the year."

She looked at him suddenly, earning a crank in her neck,

"Are you okay?" he asked through a laugh

"Yeah, just turned to quickly... Why would you resign though?" she asked seriously

"I just don't want to spend my life in Hogwarts" he sighed

"Understandable I suppose" she said understandingly

There was silence for another moment before she shivered. He put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him.

"Better?" he asked

"Much." She mumbled into his chest and he laughed

They sat like that for a while, each perfectly content with their position in the world in those few moments in time. Harry had started to stroke her hair absent-mindedly before he noticed it and drew his hand back

"Sorry..." he said, loosening his grip on her in case she wanted to get up

"For what?" she asked, her arms wrapped around his waist, head looking up at him

He sighed,

"For everything... For breaking up with you, for not contacting you for a year, for letting you leave... Everything."

She let go of him and gazed directly into his eyes,

"Harry... It's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm the one who should be apologizing"

Harry took hold of her chin and lifted it up

"Ginny, you don't owe me anything."

And they resumed their positions.

Neither were sure how long they had sat like that before they were discovered by Ron, saying that it was late and that Mrs Weasley wanted them to get to bed. Once he left they stood up and awkwardly said goodnight, each falling asleep satisfied for the first time in three years.

Harry was awoken by an excited Ron at what seemed like the crack of dawn but was actually half seven, claiming that everyone was waiting for him downstairs, which though not quite a lie, wasn't exactly true either, as they were sitting around the kitchen table eating breakfast.

"Right, I got him, can we start now?" Ron said eagerly

Mrs Weasley mearly shook her head in defeat and replied

"Okay then..."

And whereas Ron raced to the presents, everyone else strolled at a comfortable pace, enjoying watching him feeling and shaking anything and everything that was addressed to Ron.

At last when everyone had opened everything, though Ron had finished somewhat before everyone else, they all sat down, relaxed and watched Teddy playing with his top-of-the-line childrens broomstick, though Harry was on the edge of his seat until Ginny, who was sitting next to him, put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him back.

The rest of the day came and went and Harry found himself once more going onto the roof in need of some peace and quiet, only to find that Ginny was there. He sat down beside her, looking straight ahead before he noticed her sobbing, he then quickly put his arm around her and asked

"What's wrong?"

"I was looking at Ron and Hermione, and I realised that I'm missing something, you know?"

Harry nodded understandingly before saying,

"Yeah, they just seem so at peace when they're together, so completely in love..."

She had now stopped crying, though he still held her.

"So what brings you up here?" she asked, keen to change the conversation

"I needed some fresh air... What about you?" He answered

"I needed to think."

They sat like that for a few more moments before she broke the silence,

"I used to come up here, after everyone had left for Hogwarts, it just felt right, away from everything, like when I came up here all of my troubles would go away."

Harry nodded and asked,

"So why are you here now? What's bothering you now?"

"A lot of stuff... Like us."

"What about us?" He asked awkwardly

"Well, you know how I said that everything would go away when I'd come up here? That doesn't happen anymore, except when you're there beside me. And that leaves me wondering, what we are."

Harry shifted a bit before saying

"I like to think of us as the people who are meant to be, but then circumstances got in the way."

Ginny moved from his reach and turned so they were eye to eye,

"Harry, things are different now..." she said hopefully

"I know, and I also know that I could never be anywhere near as happy with anyone then I would be with you..."

"Then why aren't we together?" she interupted "I was away for two years trying to get over you, and I couldn't. So why not give it anoth..."

But she too was interupted, this time by Harry's lips crashing onto hers, though she was too stunned to respond.

"You should have let me finish my sentence, 'cause if you had, you'd know that I was waiting for you for two years and I could never imagine myself with anyone other then you." He smiled to her after breaking their contact.

**Yes, no, maybe so? Please review for a chapter that's new!... I love rhyming...**

**Okay so, another random note but there's this other great band called 'The Works', now hear me out okay? They're in my school, though I'm older then them, and they are, in my opinion, amazing, so please check them out at next time, slan go foill (Irish for goodbye)**


	7. Heartbeats

**A.N. Okay, sorry for the delay but I've had an extremely busy week, but here it is...**

**Beta? Please?**

**I don't own anything**

Two weeks passed in bliss as Harry and Ginny got to know each other again, mostly spending their time on the roof, and, though everyone else knew that they were up there, they were only disturbed for meals.Harry unfortunately had a school to return to, and rather regretably did. He found himself

in the atronomy tower as he wrote to Ginny every other day, wishing for every other Sunday, when they would meet in Hogsmeade and spend the day together. Unfortunately Valentines day fell on a Saturday that Ginny had a match, so they were unable to spend it together- however, they did meet up the next day, though it didn't make up for it. It was on a Friday in mid-March that Harry found himself in his all too familiar office, where he had once sought solitude and found comfort here- he now saw these walls as trapping him. He was once again correcting essays, trying to get them done as fast as he could so that he might just get to the party early to help prepare it. The party was of course Ron and Hermione's suprise engagement party, which the Weasley family had insisted on.

It took two hours before he was finally done, and after taking his present for the couple, flooed to the Burrow.

The first thing he noticed when he regained vision was a redhead- just one. She was sitting at the table with her feet up grinning cheekily.

"I've been expecting you" she said

"Well Gin, first may I say that I am impressed with your knowledge of muggle films, second may I express suprise that we are the only ones here."

"Well... I may just have had something to do with that. You see, everyone else is out getting stuff for the party which is tomorrow, and I didn't have a match this week so I figured that I could tell you it was today and then suprise you when we get to spend our second day together in a week."She explained while walking over to him.

"Is that so?" he asked while bringing her into a hug, "Well luckily for you, I like that way you think. So since you have it all planned out, what are we doing today?"

She looked up at him and answered,

"Well, I was kind of thinking that we could hang out around the lake."

"That sounds perfect."

And taking his hand, she lead the way.

The two walked around to the far side of the lake and sat against a tree. There was a comfortable silence before Harry decided to break it,

"So why didn't you have a match?"

Ginny took a breath before answering

"Well there was a match but I wasn't playing."

Harry stopped stroking her hair,

"Why not?" he asked concerned

"I wasn't picked. Training hasn't been going great," It was then that Harry noticed the tears in her eyes but he let her continue "It's just... I push myself as hard as I can and... Well I don't get picked, not even for the reserves."

Harry pulled her to his chest while she sobbed

"I'm sorry Harry, this is meant to be our day, to spend together, and here I am crying." she said breaking free of his hold

"Gin, I'd prefer to be here, holding you while you cry, then for us to spend time together but for you to be holding all of that in." he said stunned that she would think otherwise.

"Thanks Harry"

"No problem" he said as they resumed their positions

"So what about you, have you been holding anything in?" she sniffled

"There's nothing much that you don't know. Just that I'm counting down the days till summer"

"Well I can see the perks of not being in school all the time. What are you going to do after summer?"

Harry sighed,

"I've thought about being an auror but I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life chasing dark wizards"

Ginny nodded

"Well I suppose you don't need to worry about it yet"

"Yeah, you're right, there are a lot of things to do before that- like spending time with this girldfriend of mine." he said in between placing kissed on her neck.

Ginny moaned,

"Well if you insist..." before turning them over for a rather heated snogging session.

The two only stopped to catch their breath after a few minutes when Ginny asked

"Are you hungry?"

Harry looked at her quizically

"A bit yeah, why?"

Ginny then summoned a picnic basket, while Harry grinned at her,

"You have it all planned out, don't you?"

Ginny laughed and started laying out their food which included sanwiches and salads. The two started eating and found themselves joking and laughing before Ginny noticed that Harry had something on the side of his mouth,

"Harry, you have something on your face." She laughed as he began rubbing his face "Here, let me get it for you."

She moved over so that she was leaning over him and began kissing around his mouth. That soon turned into yet another snogging session after which Ginny was left on top of Harry with her head against his chest, listening to his heart beating.

Harry took a deep breath and said

"Gin?" she looked up to his face "I love you."

She just looked up at him in shock.

**Okay so sorry that it took so long for this and sorry that it's so short. The next chapter is the planned one.**

**Please review.**


	8. Dance Dance

**A.N. Okay so I've decided to skip ahead a day just to keep you all in suspense! So it is Ron and Hermione's party! This is like the 3rd time I've written this chapter but really it's how I imagined it all along...**

**Anyways, here it is.**

**Disclaimer**

**I don't own this jazz.**

Harry was at the bar in the Weasley's garden.. He wasn't drinking per se, just enjoying the atmosphere that he had always found to surround it. He still couldn't believe it, he had told her that he _loved_ her. He did, he knew it, it's just that it wasn't the right time to tell her. He chuckled, it obviously wasn't if she hadn't said it back.

He looked at his two best friends, they were dancing and gazing lovingly into each others' eyes. That's what he wanted, someone to love and to be able to show it off as blatantly as they were. He looked around the room, Ginny had been avoiding him since yesterday, that was definitely not the reaction that he had hoped for. He shook his head, he was losing it again, he couldn't risk going back to alcoholism. He walked over to Ron and Hermione,

"Can I cut in?" he asked

"Sure." Ron said after Hermione nodded in agreement, and walked over to his brothers.

"So what's wrong?" Hermione asked after they started dancing

"Ginny didn't tell you?" he asked quizzically. She shook her head.

"I told her I loved her." Harry answered.

Hermione's eyes lit up in both confusion and joy as he said that, and felt compelled to ask,

"So? What went wrong?"

"She didn't say it back, in fact, she's been avoiding me since."

Hermione's mouth formed an 'o'.

"I just, I just don't get it. If she doesn't feel it back then why not say so?" he asked her rhetorically.

"I don't know." she said simply, "But maybe it would be best to give her some time."

"I'm trying, but it's just so hard when I can't see her or talk to her about it." he sighed

She nodded understandingly. The song ended and the two parted.

"Thanks Hermione, I really needed someone to talk to."

"No problem"

He kissed her on the cheek, winked, and made his way to the center of the dance floor, casting a sonoras charm on himself, he spoke,

"Hello ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Harry and I will be Ron's best man. Now I know what you're thinking, I should probably make this speech their wedding day, but fear not as I am holding back all of the good stuff until then.

"I have known these two for almost nine years, they of course _finally_ got together about two years ago. Now nine years is a long time and I'm almost sure that they have _liked_ each other for that long, and quite frankly, I am amazed that it took them so long to get together." Everyone was in a circle around him by now.

"Ron and Hermione are polar opposites, but they share this love that is so... _Unique_. They honestly make me believe in true love, soul mates and all that jazz. It is a true joy to watch them when they are together, and a right pain when they're apart. All I can say is that I hope that everyone finds the kind of love that they share." Harry's eyes, which had been gazing around the crowd, found and locked with Ginny's. He looked away to Ron and Hermione "Good luck, I hope that you two stay as happy as you are now forever."

People were clapping, though Harry did not notice, he was looking for Ginny again, but he couldn't find her.

He stayed around for a while, talking to some old schoolmates and the like, but after an hour, needed space to think. He made his way up to the roof. He opened the window in the hallway that led to the roof, though immediately saw Ginny sitting there. He decided that he had wanted to talk to her, so here was his chance. He sat down beside her.

"You okay?" he asked

"Not really... At all." she admitted

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at her even though she was still looking straight ahead.

"Well I'm with this amazing guy who recently said he loved me, but I can't bring myself to say it back."

Harry nodded and replied,

"Well maybe he doesn't want to hear you say it back just yet, or at least not until you feel it, and instead just wanted to let you know how he feels."

Ginny looked at him,

"Well that _would_ make sense." she looked at him and joked

"What can I say? I understand men." he laughed "I did mean it though, I do love you." He continued suddenly serious

"I know, and I'll say it back when I'm ready."

"That's all I ask."

They were silent for a while, each absorbed in their own thoughts,

"I'm sorry for avoiding you." she broke the silence

"It's okay, just know that you can come to me in the future."

"I will. Now though, my boyfriend has to leave tomorrow and I really would love a dance."

"Well if you insist..."

And they danced the night away...

**Okey dokey? Terrible Werrible? ****Please review****! I can't say it enough, I love reviews and like, need them!**


	9. Summer of '69

**Okay so here's the deal, I have to go away tomorrow so the next update will be up later then usual.**

**There is a master plan just to let you know. Oh and I've planned out the chapters and I want to end this on an even number so if you could tell me which you'd prefer:**

**1 really, really, like super long chapter**

**2 short enough chapters with an epilogue.**

**I only own the storyline sigh**

Harry returned to Hogwarts early on Monday morning, tired and with sore feet. He asked Kreacher to bring him breakfast in his office, showered and changed.

His first class that morning were Gryffindor and Hufflepuff fifth years, who all seemed intent on starting the NEWT course rather then to revise for the OWLs. He shook his head, he supposed he had a duty to cover as much as possible with them, especially as he would not be there the following year and still had no idea who was going to replace him. It didn't help that those fifth years were his favourite class and he just couldn't say no to them.

His week passed faster then he expected it to, each of his classes finally realising that summer was just around the corner and that with summer came summer exams. He and Ginny wrote every other day, and he met up with Ron and Hermione on Friday.

On Sunday Harry decided to pay George and Luna a visit and tried to convince them to name their unborn child either Harry or Harriett. Luna simply smiled politely while George suggested talking Ron into it on his bachelor party. Harry had to admit that he did like George's idea but felt that Hermione would kill him. Still, Ron wouldn't remember if he did or didn't promise Harry anything, so there was no _real_ harm in teasing them he concluded.

Weeks had soon passed and it was summer, and of course, Harry found himself unemployed. He decided to do two things, the first being getting himself a flat. It took him a few more weeks to find the perfect one- a two bed on Diagon Alley. The second thing he did was set up a meeting with Kingsley Shaklebolt to see if he could find a job at the ministry.

One would be inclined to think that Harry and Ginny would be able to spend the summer together what with their jobs now being on hold, though that was not the case as Ginny had gone on tour with the Harpies for two months, returning only for Harry's birthday.

It was the day before Ginny returned and Harry put on his best robes and went to his meeting with Kingsley. He was a few minutes late, but he knocked on the door he found Kingsley patiently sitting at his desk.

"Hello Harry, please, do sit." Kingsley said while shaking Harry's hand and motioning for him to sit in the seat opposite him with his other hand.

"So you are here to discuss your future? You know most people don't meet with the Minister of Magic for that." he continued.

"Well Kingsley, I thought that we'd established that I'm not most people by now. After all, the Minister for Magic, himself, doesn't try to recruit most people for the auror program _every_ year" Harry responded jokingly.

"Point taken. Now about the current opening in the auror program, would you be interested?" Kingsley asked

"Depends. Is there any over-seas work? How long would I have to train for? What's the pay like? And how long until I'd be eligible for promotion?" Harry responded

"Very little over-seas, it's all on a voluntary basis anyway. You'd train with me for two or three weeks. The pay is quite good. And as for promotion, I'd certainly hope that you remain ineligible for a few years at least, as the position that I'm offering you is head of the department, the next step being Minister for Magic." Kingsley answered while Harry looked overwhelmed.

"Head of department?" he croaked out "Merlin Kingsley, are you sure?"

"Harry, there is no one that either the public or I would trust more." Kingsley said reassuringly

"What are the hours like?" Harry asked, seriously considering the position for the first time.

"Nine to five. Monday to Friday, but you're on call all time."

Harry nodded and paused to think.

"When does training start?" he asked after a minute

"Well if you're accepting the position then ASAP, so tomorrow?" Kingsley asked

Harry broke into a smile,

"What time will I meet you here boss?"

"Nine, sharp, here- my office, don't be late." Kingsley smiled back

"See you then."

Harry shook his new bosses hand again and left, only then remembering that Ginny would be back the next day.

"Oh. Shit." He swore to himself.

**Okay that turned out a lot shorter then it was when I wrote it out- by hand. I know, I know, praise me for that old style.**

**Please review!**


	10. Potential BreakUp Song

**Okay, here it is: chapter 10. Most people seem to want long chapters**

**Just a warning, something big happens in this chapter, it is important so pay attention!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, this fanfiction is merely for entertainment and no copyright infringment is intended.**

Harry decided to go ahead with his training session after both Ron and Hermione assured him that they thought Ginny wouldn't mind too much. Besides, Hermione pointed out, Ginny had just gone on tour for two months so it wasn't as if she could say that she was putting their relationship above everything else. 

When he arrived at the ministry Harry was greeted by a sight that made him have to hold in the fits of laughter. This sight was Kingsley Shaklebolt, the minister of magic, in an old muggle tracksuit.

Their training session commenced with what seemed to Harry to be running across the country, as a warm-up. They then dueled and before Harry knew it it was six o'clock and he was saying goodbye to Kingsley and flooing to the Burrow

What he found there was what appeared to be a party in full-swing, the Weasleys, of course, being in the center of it. After announcing his presence to Mrs Weasley, Ro and Hermione, he searched for Ginny. He found her outside talking to what he presumed were her team-mates. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist

"Please tell me that you are Harry Potter, my boyfriend." she said

"That I most certainly am." he whispered in her ear while giving her just enough space to turn around and hug him.

"Just what I was hoping for." she whispered back before kissing him full on the mouth.

"When you get a minute can we talk?" he asked her, still holding her tight

"Yeah, sure, how's right now?" she replied

"No, get back to your conversation, I'll catch you later." he answered

"Okay" she said, kissed him again and turned back to the other women.

Harry walked away, just about hearing the sighs of "Aww" that came from the group.

The night was coming to a close when Harry saw Ginny standing by the food table, alone. Figuring that this was his oppertunity, he made his way to her and took her hand

"Can we talk now?" he asked

"Yeah, sure, here follow me" she answered and lead him to her bedroom, "So what did you want to talk about?" she asked after sitting down on her bed and motioning for him to do likewise.

"Well there's a few things. Firstly I just wanted to say I'm sorry for being late but I was with Kingsley."

"Harry, it's okay, I understand. I'm just glad to see you." she assured him.

"Okay, thanks. Did you have fun?" he asked

"Yeah, it was pretty fun, but that doesn't mean that I didn't miss you... A lot"

"Well that's good to know Gin, but I think we need to talk"

"I kind of thought thats what we were doing" she joked, but he just looked at her seriously "Oh, it's that kind of talk."

"Yeah, it is. Look Gin, I love you. God, I love you so much..."

"Harry, I'm just not ready..." she interrupted

"I know that Gin, I do, but I need to know if we're going somewhere, if this" he pointed to himself and Ginny "Is going somewhere." She tried to interrupt him again but he just put up his hand " 'Cause I'm not sure that we are.. I love you so much, I do. I know you haven't said it back yet because you're scared or because you don't feel it, but we just got back together and you leave for two months." He was now kneeling in front of her " I guess I just feel like we rushed into things. -hell, you were just back when we got together! I feel like maybe we were trying to relive the past when in fact we hadn't actually forgiven each other." He now stopped and watched her as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Harry, please. We can make this work." she sobbed.

He reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes,

"Gin, if you had said 'I love you' at any point in my speech, I would be taking it all back _so_ fast. But I think that we both just need some time to figure out what we're feeling. I don't want to tie you down, so go, live life, see the world, and when you come back, if I'm still in your heart, I'll be waiting here, and if not, then we weren't meant to be." He kissed her on the cheek once more before leaving her room, just missing hearing her say "I love you Harry"

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

Harry walked down the stairs and into the garden on auto-pilot. He grabbed a bottle of butter-beer and went over to Ron and Hermione who were sitting down by a table, and sat down next to them.

"Hey Harry, we need to ask you something" Hermione said, looking at Ron expectantly

"Would you be my best man?" Ron asked

Harry stared at them, he couldn't say that this was a surprise, but he just hadn't thought about it.

"Harry?" Hermione asked

"What? Oh yeah, yeah, that'd be great!" he said, hugged them both and left to walk around.

Hermione looked at Ron before following Harry.

"Harry, are you okay?" she asked him when the reached a secluded spot and sat down.

"No, but I will be. Just realising that it's all really happening, you know? We aren't just kids anymore, you're getting married and I... well I'm an auror now."

"I know what you mean, it seems like only yesterday that we were in Hogwarts."

They sat in silence before Hermione spoke,

"How's Ginny? That seems to be going pretty well." 

"I broke up with her." Harry said simply

"Harry..." Hermione sighed 

Harry shook his head,

"It's for the best, it's more of a break then anything. We both need to figure some stuff out, you know? Learn what life is like without each other so that when we get back together, _if_ we get back together, we can appreciate being together, not because we have to be, but because we choose to be."

"Harry, you two are meant to be. You're doing the right thing, just believe it yourself." she said understandingly

"Thanks 'Mione. I think I'd better go home now though, early start tomorrow."

"Bye Harry."

**Okay first things first,**

**A BIG thank you to crookshanks96 who gave me like the best review EVER! This chapter's for you, sorry if it sucked...**

**Haha, it was funny, I found some notes of mine from like, last summer, when I thought up this story, and it was REALLY different but with some similarities, I found it quite funny.**

**Didn't really want them to break up but it's all part of the master plan, so trust me!**

**Please review, they equals love!**


	11. Wind Beneath My Wings

Okay so this is the last chapter, the end of an era for me and the end of another story for everyone else

**Okay so this is the last chapter, the end of an era for me and the end of another story for everyone else. So sorry for the extremely long delay! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, it really does mean a lot. Not sure when my next story will be up, I'm kind of writing a book at the mo' but my expectations aren't that high for it. Okay so here it is: ****Wind Beneath My Wings**

Weeks flew by, and though the gaps in their lives were evident to both themselves and the ones that they held close, Harry and Ginny did their best to continue with their lives, however difficult it may be. Harry dove straight into his training, and, though there was no doubting his progress, his method was, well to say the least, worrying those around him as he took to a 'learn from my own mistakes' method, making Kingsley increasingly worried about handing over the reigns. Ginny had taken a similar route, deciding that if she was going, she was going to go out with a bang, something that was increasingly likely with the risks she took in mid air.

Ron and Hermione's wedding was approaching and their nerves were running high, whereas everyone else was merely avoiding the couple for fear of being told off for not helping, or being begged to hide the groom so as he did not have to face his fiancé's wrath.

As the wedding approached, so too did Ron's Bachelor party and Hermione's Hen Night, and being the best man and maid of honour, Harry and Ginny were in charge of organizing these, needless to say, a joint party was out of the question as they had both been actively avoiding the other and had therefore not spoken a word since the night on which they had broken up. Harry, with the aid of George, had decided to hold Ron's party in the Three Broomsticks, whereas Ginny had opted for muggle London.

The night of the parties had come and both groups headed for their destinations and the festivities commenced, needless to say there was a fair amount of alcohol consumed though in reality, what kind of party would it be if there wasn't? And so, after a few hours, both parties had reached their limits and the younger, more capable ones found themselves slumped against the bar in question in a drunken stupor, while the elders had left in full knowledge that they could not compete with the others' drinking and that they did not want the hangover that would accompany the previous nights drinking.

"I miss it" Harry muttered into his arm

"Miss what?" Ron asked, in a slightly more sober state then Harry

"Her, being in love… _It_. The whole experience"

Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder and looked him in the eye

"Well, you know it _is_ kind of your fault… But if you really love her, like love her as much as I love 'Mione, then go for it, because then… Then I can throw you one of these, one of these par-tays"

Harry simply sniggered before drooping his head back onto his arm.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

One week and 4 God-awful hangovers later and it was the day of Ron and Hermione's wedding, and needless to say that in the grooms dressing room there were a few nerves running loose- mainly Harry's for fear of what Ron might do wrong, be it messing up the vows which they had spent one long night on or saying the wrong name. Though being the good friend that he was, Harry put aside his fears and did his utmost to support Ron in his hour of need.

"What if she doesn't want me and she realises it right now?" The questions went on as Ron seemed to have bottled up all of his fears and doubts until the worst possible moment.

"Mate, do you really think that she'd have stayed with you after all the shit we've done if she didn't love you?"

"Right, yeah… Unless she loves you?!"

And so Harry went on to explain for the umpteenth time the he and Hermione were just friends and that was how they had always been and always would be.

Before they knew it there was no more time for doubts and George ushered them to the alter for the ceremony to begin.

HGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHGHG

The ceremony itself went extraordinarily well, Ron performing better then anyone had expected and only stuttering once, luckily and the beginning of his vows which Hermione correctly assumed to just be nerves instead of anything too serious.

The reception had now begun and Harry was building up the nerve to make his toast, finally, after one last deep breath he began,

"Ron and Hermione are the best friends I'll ever have, though they've given me so much more the friendship and support, I find myself looking at them and the way they look at each other gives me hope. Now as we all know Ron and Hermione are not exactly the same, they don't share some interests and we all know they don't share opinions from time to time, in fact I believe some have been crude enough to refer to them as 'Ying and Yang'," he said glancing at George " but they overlook these differences and see a person whom they love. By looking at them I have hope that one day we may all find love as pure as theirs' and that we will all be as happy as I'm sure they will be. So here's to Ron and Hermione, may you fulfill every dream and continue showing us all that though love has its' ups and downs at the end of the day it is those who survive those who will triumph." He finished by looking around the room, until, finally, his eyes reached Ginny's and he found himself lost in a whirlwind of emotions.

Music began to play as Ron and Hermione took to the floor for their first dance as a married couple, and, after one brief thought, Harry approached Ginny and offered his hand to her.

_Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.  
It must have been cold there in my shadow,  
to never have sunlight on your face.  
You were content to let me shine, that's your way.  
You always walked a step behind._

She locked her arms around his neck as they gently swayed, taking in each other as though they had not seen each other in years.

_So I was the one with all the glory,  
while you were the one with all the strength.  
A beautiful face without a name for so long.  
A beautiful smile to hide the pain._

He looked in her eyes, of course he still loved her, had loved her all along, ever since he had first met her. She amazed him, a strong, seemingly unbreakable exterior, though inside she was just as confused as he was, not that she'd ever admit it.

_Did you ever know that you're my hero,  
and everything I would like to be?  
I can fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings._

"Does it hurt?" she asked, removing one of her hands to hold his, tracing the scar from where he had tried to take his own life.

"The scar stopped hurting when my heart stopped hurting, right around the time you came home."

_It might have appeared to go unnoticed,  
but I've got it all here in my heart.  
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.  
I would be nothing without you_

"So what have you been doing since…?" she asked

"Taking risks to try to forget the mistakes I've made. You?"

"Honestly? Pretty much the same, I'm a first-team regular now though"

"I heard… Congratulations."

She looked into his eyes, "I said it, right after you left. I said I loved you."

_Did you ever know that you're my hero?  
You're everything I wish I could be.  
I could fly higher than an eagle,  
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings_

"I didn't hear you." He said looking away from her "Do you? I mean, do you still?" His heart was racing, almost praying in morse code that she would feel the same way, that they could go back to being them.

_Oh, the wind beneath my wings.  
You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.  
Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.  
Oh, you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings_

She looked at him and saw the hope written unashamedly across his face.

"Always and forever."

He swooped down and caught her lips in a passionate kiss, trying to show her that she was his, that he could never not love her and that all he wanted, all he could ever want, was to be with her for she was the wind beneath his wings… Always and forever.

_Fly, fly, fly high against the sky,  
so high I almost touch the sky.  
Thank you, thank you,  
thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings_

**Okay then… I suppose that's that. Incredibly immensely sorry for the long wait, I hope it didn't disappoint.**

**If anyone can tell me what show there were a few references from and what couple specifically then this chapter is dedicated to you.**

**.You may have guessed that since there was such a long wait for this chapter I won't have another story up for a while… Well you'd be right there and even if I do it probably won't be a Harry Potter one.**

**Thanks for all the reviews and support, it means a lot to me.**

**Peace out.**

**Oh and sorry for no epilogue but I believe you can reference the book itself for that, I doubt I could have done anywhere near as good a job.**


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